Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

रे मूढ किं विषादेन प्राप्य कर्मकदर्थनाम् । भवानीवल्लभं भीमं जप त्वं भयनाशनम्

Transliteration

re mūḍha kiṃ viṣādena prāpya karmakadarthanām | bhavānīvallabhaṃ bhīmaṃ japa tvaṃ bhayanāśanam

Translation

Ô insensé, pourquoi sombrer dans le désespoir, après être tombé dans l’abaissement engendré par tes propres actes ? Récite Bhīma, l’aimé de Bhavānī, celui qui anéantit la peur.

Word by Word

• रे: O!
• रे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: रे (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-अव्यय (vocative particle)

• मूढ: O fool/deluded one
• मूढ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• किम्: what (is the point)?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नवाचक

• विषादेन: with dejection/sorrow
• विषादेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्राप्य: having obtained
• प्राप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable usage)

• कर्मकदर्थनाम्: the disparagement/affliction caused by karma
• कर्मकदर्थनाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म + कदर्थन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• भवानीवल्लभम्: the beloved of Bhavānī
• भवानीवल्लभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवानी + वल्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• भीमम्: terrible/awe-inspiring
• भीमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective) भवानीवल्लभम् इति

• जप: chant
• जप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुषार्थे (2nd person pronoun), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• भयनाशनम्: fear-destroying
• भयनाशनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective) भवानीवल्लभम् इति

Speaker

Unspecified exhorter within the Revā-khaṇḍa narrative (instructional voice urging japa of Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīra

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A distressed pilgrim kneels on the Narmadā bank, head bowed; a compassionate sage points toward a fierce-yet-protective Śiva (Bhīma) with trident; Bhavānī stands nearby as ‘vallabhā’, calming the scene; fear dissolves like dark mist.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Bhīma)
• Bhavānī (Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Despair born of karma is overcome by turning to Śiva through mantra-japa and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā sacred landscape where Śiva’s names and worship are presented as swift means of refuge.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa (repetition) of Bhīma, an epithet of Śiva, for the destruction of fear.